Floor-controller.



A. SUNDH.

FLOOR CONTROLLER. I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1 1, 1,907. 993, 53, Patentged July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETBSHEET 1.

. J .3 q vibncaaca 5 Jnuc-uloz /WJZY/5MI as. 111-10114. 7661M 1 @Wfnam A. SUNDH. FLOOR CONTROLLER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1907.

998,653, Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST SUNDH, OF YONKEBS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY,

OFJERSEY CITY, NEW'JEIRSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

rnoon-cou rnoLLnn.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTJSUNDH, a

I citizen of the United States, residing in I and useful lmprovementin Floor-C0ntrollers, of which the following is. aspecification. My invention relates to elevator systems, and is herein shown as applied to an, automatic elevator system in which the operation of the car may be cont-rolled either from i a floor. landing or the interior of the car to bring it to any desiredfi oor, certain features of the invention being especially adapted for use in such automatic system.

In elevator systems the locks on the hatchway doors are usuallyoperated automatically by cams carried'by the elevator car, the camsbeing operated by electro-magnets or other devices on the car. It has been proposed to avoid certain objectionable features incident to the use of such mechanism by placing the lock' operating mechanism at some point remote from the car and connecting it mechanically to the locks.

One of the features ofmy'lnvention resides in the combination of this mechanism witha floor controller.

The invention also involves certain improvements in the floor controller itself, one

of the objects of the inventionbeingto provide contacts which are adjustable to vary the positions at which the car stops in its, upward and downward travel, thestopping points in the upward and downwardtravelf each being independently adjustable. Other 'objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novelcombinations of elements being set forth in thd appended claims. i

F'gure 1 is a diagrammatic view of apparat-us embodying my'invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the floor controller; Fig. 3 is a modified detail there of; Fig. 4 illustrates, in part section, the hatchway door contacts and the door looking device. I Referring to the drawings, M represents a motor, shown as a shunt wound electric motor, .2.

' C represents an elcvatorjcaror. cage, and C the usual counterbalance weight, con nected to, a hoisting drum D, which may be Specification of Letters Patent.

operated by the motor directly or through any suitable connections, such as gearing.

B designates the usual friction brake which is normally applied to the periphery of a brake pulley Z) and is released from engagement therewith by electi ica-l means.

In order to operate the motor and to control itsdirection of rotation for moving the car upward or downward the reversing swltches R and R. are used. They may be of any suitable character, and in the present instance are shown as magnetic switches of the well-known solenoid type.

A designates an electrically operated main line switch at which the motor circuit is closed. g r

1, 2 and 3 represent floor landings, of

which theremay be any desired number,-

each being provided with a door 1, 2- and 3, respectively, opening as is'usual upon the elevator hatchway. At each floor are shown push buttons 11, 22 and 33, and push but- ,tons'll, 22' and 33' are shown on the car,

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed November 11, 1907. Serial No. 401,621.

while electrical connections are made'be tweenthe push buttons at each floor and on the car and the motor controlling devices.-

' 111-, 222 and 383 are relays which are connected to corresponding push buttons at each floor and on the car, and are adapted to be operated upon closing the proper circuit by means ofthe corresponding push button.

The hatchway doors are provided'with door contacts which are connected in series with each other and'included 111a controlling circuit which 'is, only maintained when the hatchway doors are all closed. The preferred construction of these door contacts is shown at Fig. 4, in which two contacts 4% and 44, between which is insulation mate rial 45, are rigidly held in proper position upon the door casing by an insulated bracket 46. A metallic box 51,"with a removable cover, is mounted upon the hatchway door,

findcontains two spring pressed swlnging,

contact clips 47 and 47, which are pivoted to a sfiitable piece 50 insulated from the box 51. These contact clips 47 and 47 are so laced with regard to the fixed contacts 4 and 44, respectively, on the door casing. as to be in electrical engagement therewith when the door is in its closed position. The spring 48 carried by the bolt 19 insures a firm electrical contact between the fixed contacts and the clips when the door is closed,

and the engaging faces of the fixed contacts are rounded as shown so as to readily enter the clips upon closing the door;

10, 20 and 30 are combined door locking and contact closing devices, and the preferred construction is shown in Fig. el. Each hatchway door is provided with one I of these devices, and, since they are similar in every respect, I will describe the one shown upon the first floor, and designated by '10. A locking lever. 21 is pivoted at 23 to a suitable fixture mounted uponthe door casing. This lever is provided with a latch 25 which is arranged to cooperate with a keeper 1%) which may be formed integral with the box 51 and so lock the door in its closed position. The latch lever carries. at

one end two electrical contacts 26 which are adapted to engage, or come into electrical contact with, a bridging contact 27 which is suitably mounted upon a bracket carried by the box 51'and insulated therefrom, whenever the latch lever 21 is in its locking position. A spring 24,Whose tension may be regulated by means of'a screw 29,

tends to maintain the latch lever in its looking position. A spring or springs 24 may also be provided in addition to or in place" of. the spring 24, such springs being desirable to support the weight of the wires 17 and connected parts and insure the return of the latch lever to locking position.

The left hand end of the latch lever is protroller is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and

' it comprises a suitable base or support 52,

upon which is rotatably mounted a screwthreaded rod 5 carried in the bearings 5, and provided at one 'end with a sprocket wheel or pulley 53. This latter is suitably connected by sprocket chain, belt, or other means to the elevator car or to some rotating part of the hoisting apparatus, such as the'd'rum shaft, in such manner that it iseaused to revolve at a speed proportional to that of the hoisting apparatus and also proportional to the speed of the elevator car. A magnet casing 9 is screw-threaded upon the rod 5 and is carried along in one direction or the other guided by the rods 41, 4.1 in the bearings 42, depending upon the direction of rotation of the rod 5 corresponding to an upward or downward V movement of the elevator C. This magnet frame 9 is securely bolted to an insulation strip 6 toWhich are attached conductmg strips 7 and 8. Arranged adjacent to the path of movement of the insulation strip 6, and contact strips 7 and 8 carried thereon, are stationary contacts 111', 222 and 333, similar in construction and each comprising a slotted supporting bracket 54. secured to the base 52 by a screw 55 which passes through the slot 56. This construction provides means for adjusting the position of the bracket 54 on its supporting base 52. The bracket 54: is provided with a .bushing 57 in-which is securely fastened a rod 58 having a flattened portion 59 to which are connected flexible contact holders 60 and 60 carrying contacts 62 and 62, respectively. The contact holders 60 and 60 are screwed to the flattened portion 59 by screws 61 and 61, and the slots provided in each contact holder permit the latter to be adjusted in proper position. The mag net frame 9 contains a, solenoid winding 10*, adapted when energized to raise a magnet core 11 which is normally held in its downward position by means of a spring 12. The magnet core 11 has connected to its outer end a head 13 which is adapted under certain conditions to engage one of the bell cranks 10', 20 or 30. These bell cranksare similar in construction and each crank lever is pivoted at 66 to a fixture 65 which is slotted at 63 and 63 and held in proper position on the support 52 by the. screws 64 and 64. The slots 63 and 63 permit a limited horizontal adjustment and this adjustment may be Widely varied by transferrin the screws 64 and 64: to other holes 67 set screw 68 limits the movement of the bell crank in one direction. A rod 36 guided at one end by a guide 40 lies' directly behind the lon arms of the bell cranks 10, 20 and 30 and is connected at its other endto a switch lever 32. Rollers 37, 38 and 39 are secured to the bar 36 at suitable positions and adapted to engage the long armsof the corresponding bell cranks 10, 20' and 30 adjacent thereto. The switch 31'comprises a switch lever 32 v pivoted at 32 to a bracket secured to the support 52, and carries upon-its upper portion an insulated contact 3 1 which .is adapted to bridge, or close an electrical circuit between fixed contacts 33 when the switch lever 32 is in its right hand or closed posi tion. The opening of the switch 31 is effected whenever the bar 36 is moved to the right by one of the bell cranks 10, 20

or 30 engaging a corresponding roller 37,

' 38 or 39, respectively. A spring 35'tends to ,40 operates to bring the locking lever 21 in through the spring pressed piece 13, bell crank cord 18, bell crank 15, and cord 17. The switch 31' is in its open position, thereby preventing a circuit through .the contacts 33, which, as will be pointed out later, are in the circuit of the magnet winding for the main line magnet switch A and designate a suitable source of electrical supply.

In order to show the operation ofthe present embodiment of .my invention, let it" be supposedthatall of the hatchway doors i inon terminal 'ofthe magnet windings of.

' cuit continues through the winding ofing 1.

are closed, and the operator in the-car desires to bring the car to the first'fioor landto the desiredfloor, is pressed-and a circuit is established which may be traced'as follows: from the main by wire 72 and fuses 70 to a junction 7 3, thence by wire 43.

through the contacts 4 of each door and to themagnet winding 10 0f the floor controller. The other terminal of this magnet winding is connected by wire 74 to the comthe reversing switches R and R. The cirswitch It and by wire 75 to the contact strip 8 on-the floor controller, thence through winding of'relay 111 by way of contact l1l,-and by wire 7 6 through the push button 111 to the main by wire It is thus seen that by pushing the car button r 11' a circuit is closed including the door t contacts 4,- winding 10 of the floor con-,.

troller, winding of the reversingswitch R,

floor cont-roller contact 111, winding of relay 111 and push button 11. The winding 10 of the floor controller is now energized. to raise itscore 11 together with the head l3 connected therewith, and the spring 24 locking position, securelylocking the door 25 andflcarrying' the contacts 26' into electrical engagement with the stationary contact 27. The bell crank 20 will; be moved intoa position corresponding to that of" the bell cranks 1'0" and 30, thereby allowing thespring 35flto inove the switch 31 to the right and electrically connect the stationary contacts 33. The, reversing switch-R is also energized at this time to raise its core and connected contacts, and thus arrange the motor connections in such manner that wvhen the motor receives current from "the mainline the same will revolve in the proper direction to cause the elevator car to descend. It is not deemed necessary to point out the motor circuits, since the usual method of reversing the motor by altering or reversing its armature connections by means of reversing svvitches iswell known in -the art. The, relay 111 is also included in the circuit just traced and it will operate to raise its core and connected contact plate,

thereby bridging orbringing into electrical of the main line switch A was open-circuited at the contacts of switch 31 when the latter was inits open position. The other The' car button 1l', corresponding,

contact the. stationary contacts '78. This latter operation closes a self-holding circuit to the terminal of the relay 111- by wire 77 and contacts 7 8,..which is in parallel to the push button 11, therefore after the relay has operated, it is no longer necessary to keep the push button 11 pressed in order to maintain the various circuits. As before pointed out-, one terminal of the winding terminal of thiswindingwas also open-circuited at the lower contactsof the reversing switches R and R. Since by pressing. the

"push button 11 the-switch 31 and R have both operated-to close their respective contacts, a circuit to the winding ofthe main line switch A is also closed and it may be traced as follows: from the main at the junction 73, locking lever contacts 26,26 and 26", wire 79, contacts 33, wire 71 to and through thewinding of switch A, lower contacts of reversing switch R, to the 1- main. .The main line switch is now energized to raise its core and so close the motor circuit, and at the same time a circuit to the magnet brake B, and the motor is enabled to operate in the usual manner to cause the elevator car to descend. Owing to the connections between the motor and the floor controller, as before described, the, latter,

or rather the screw-threaded portion 5 thereof, will also revolve proportionally in such direction as to carry the magnet frame 9 and connected parts, including the insulation 6 and contact strips '7 land 8 carried thereon", in a'right hand direction, until finally as the contact strip S'mo-ves out of engagement with the contact 111 the cir-- cuit through this contact, including the I winding of relay 111, winding of reversing switch R and winding 10 of thefloor con- The apparatus included- The operation of the hoisting apparatus in bringing the car from the second floor I to the first floor, causes the magnet frame 9 to assume a position such that the head 13] of the magnet core 10 upon being thrust downward by the spring 12 engages the short arm of the bell crank 10- and forces it downward. The long arm' of this crank will engage the roller 39 carried upon the bar 36 and move "the latter to the right,

contact a and rendering itimpossible to; operate the elevator until the door has again been closed and the door-contact l restored to its closed circuit position. if it is desired to bring the car to the upper or third floor landing 3 by an operator at the third floor landing and the hatchway doors are all closed, the push button 33 is pressed. A circuit is now closedthrough the relay 333 corresponding to the third floor, the floor controller contact 333', contact strip 7, reversing switch R, and floor controller magnet 10. The reversing switch is thereby energized to connect the motor in such manner that it will operate to raise the elevator car when the motor circuit is closed by the main line switch The en-- ergization of the magnet 16 raises the head 13 out of engagement with the bell crank 10 and thus the spring 24isenabled to force the locking lever 21.into locking position and also short circuit or electrically con nect the contacts 26. The spring 35 is also free to close -:theswitch 31 and thus a circuit is now established including the contacts 26, 26 and 26 of the locking devices, switch contacts 33, magnet switch A, and the lower contacts of the reversing switch R. The energization of switch A, as before pointed out, closes the motor and brake circuits and the car travels upwardly. Just as the car reaches the third floor landing the contact strip 7 in the floor controller, which in the meanwhile has been moving to the left, passes from under the contact 333, breaking the operating circuit and allowing the reversing switch It to open its allowing the same to be opened. As before. described, the fioor controllercontacts 111, etc, comprise two contacts 62 and 62 which may be separately adjusted so that the circuit including these contacts may be interrupted on both the up-and down travel of the elevator carat the proper time so that the car will come. to rest on a levelwith 'the desired floor landing. The controlling cir-,

cuit is broken to stop the car at the upper eeaeaa contact 62 when the elevator car is ascending, while the controlling circuit is broken at the lower contact 62 when the car is descending. Thus by properly adjusting the position of these contacts the car will-always stop level with any fioor landing regardless of the direction of car travel.

Referring to Fi 3, a modified time floor controller contact holder is shown in side elevation. An upright 80 is secured to the support or base 52 which carries a sup porting piece 81 arranged at right angles thereto. Upon this latter is slidably' mounted a holder 54 having a hole 58 adapted to.

receive the contact supporting rod 58 shown in Fig. 2. The supporting piece 81 is vertically adjustable on the upright 80 and may be locked against movement by a set screw 84-. The holder 54: is horizontally adjustable along the arm of the supporting contacts 62 and 62 bear down upon the contact strips 7 or 8 of the floor controller may be varied at will.

While T have shown but three fioor landings and the various relays, push buttons, door contact devices, and arrangement of the floor controller, are all suitable for an elevator system having three floor landings, my invention is equally adapted to an elevator system having any desired number of floor landings, the merely requiring a duplication of parts heretofore described in connection with a threefloor installation. In order to operate the car after the same has come to rest at any additional floor landings.

desired floor landing, it is necessary to energize the switch A and thereby close the ve'rsing switches'lt and B, and in order to complete this circuit one of the reversing switches must be previously operated to close its contacts and the switch 31 must likewise be closed so that its contacts 33 are in electrical engagement. In order to operate either of the reversing switches R or R, the door contacts 4 must all be closed, since the door contacts are included in the circuit which operated to energize either of the reversing switches. Also thefioor controller magnet 10 must be energizedto allow the switch 31 to electrically connect its conran tacts 33 before it is possible to complete a circuit to the winding of switch A. The

. winding of the floor controller magnet is also included in the door contact circuit.

Thus it is seen that there is no possibility of operating the car unless the hatchway doors I are all closed and securely locked. The

magnet- 10 on the floor controller operates to unlock the particular door at the floor must be in proper position except at such times as the car rest adjacent thereto. The cooperation of the various parts of landing at which the car has'come to rest, and this door cannot be unlocked unless the car has, stopped adjacent to this particular floor landing, since the floor controller, ;or rather'the moving part 13 thereof, which travels proportionally with the elevator car, relative to the bell crank levers" 10, 20 or 30 in order to make it possible for the magnet 10 to release the door locking means at the floor landing at which the elevator car has come to rest, the-other doors remaining securely locked has come to the system embodying my invention and the electrical circuits therefor do not depend for .their proper operation upon any one par:

ticulardevice or set of electrical contacts, since theqvarious. safety features provided to insure the closing and lockin vof all of the hatchway doors before the Far can be moved away from any floor land ng, and to insure that the'car has come to rest adjacent to any floor landing before itis possible to open the corresponding landing door,

-' are so interlocked both mechanically and electrically that a false operation is absolutely impossible. Thusa safety feature is provided whereby all accidents due to the in theart without departing from the spirit opening of hatchway doors when the car is inniotion or at some other floor landing, or -when the car is started and'the hatchway 1 doors are not all closed and securely locked,

are obviated.

Various changes may be made in the apparatus shown and described by those skilled and scope of my invention, and, while I have chosen a well known type of push butby Letters Patent is ton operated elevator apparatus for, the purose of illustration and easy comprehension thereof, I do not desire to belimited to the 1 specific construction and arrangement of parts as shown. Furthermore, my invention,is adapted to electric eleva'torsystems of all kinds, whether the same be operated by push buttons, car switches or any other well known operating devices. My invention is equally adapted to direct, alternating or intermittent current;..the only changes whichwould be necessary are well known to those skilled in the art' and form no part ofthe present invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect 1. In an elevator system, the combination with an electric motor, a car, driving connections between the motor and car, and a door at each floor landing,of a circuit including the "motor armature, a second cir-' ,cuit, said circuits being normally open, a

plurality of independently operative means associated with eachdoor for retaining said circuits open when a door is open, and means operative upon the closure of. said second circuit to close the armature circuit. 2. In an elevator system, the combination with a motor, a car, driving connections, and doors at the floor landings, of a plu rality of circuits controlling the motor, and

associated with each door for controlling said circuits. I

.3. In an elevator system, the combination with an electric motor, a car, driving connections, and doors at the floor landings,

of circuits cooperatively controlling the motor, and independently operative 'means associated with each door for controlling said circuits by the position of the door.

4. In an elevator system, the combination with a car,-a motor, and a door, of, a door lock, a mechanically combined floor controller andklock releasing device, and automatic means for operating said controller to positions corresponding with the position of the car.

5. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, an electric motor, andkdriving connections, of a door for each floor landing, a latch for each door,-a floor controller, and mechanical means operated thereby for reindependently operative automatic means leasing each latch when the car is stopped with a car, an electric motor, and driving connections, of a floor cont-roller, door locks, and means operated by the floor controller and mechanically connected thereto for releasing'the locks.

8.. 'In an elevator system, the combination With a car, an electric motor, and driving connections, of a floor cont-roller, a member carried thereby and movable in unison with the car, door locks, and mechanical connections between the door locks and said member for releasing the locks.

9. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, an electric motor, driving con. nections, and doors at the several floor landings, of a lock for each door, a floor controller, an electro-magnet associated with armature when the car is opposite the door corresponding to said latch.

10. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, an electric motor, and driving connections, of a floor controller comprising a movable member, means for moving said member as the car is moved, cont-acts carried by said member, fixed contacts cotiperating therewith, a circuit including said contacts, an electro-magnet carried by said -member and having its winding in said circuit, doors opposite the floor landings, a

latch for each door, levers located near the path of saidelectro-magnet, connections betweenthe levers and thelatches, and an extenslon carrled by the core of the electromagnet and held out of contact with said levers when the electro-magnet is energized, and movable into engagement with said levers when themagnet is deenergized to operate thelatch corresponding to the position ofthe car.

11. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, an electric motor, and driving connections, of a floor controller comprising a pair of relatively stationary contacts, a single contact in sliding engagement therewith, means for causing a relative movement of the single contact and the pair oi contacts in unison with the movement of the car and'into positions in which the contacts are disengaged, and means for independ ently adjusting the positions of the contacts in said pair to varythe positionsof the car at which the contacts of the pair'are disengaged from the single contact.

12in a floor controller, the combination with-a single contact, of a pair of contacts in sliding engagementtherewith, means for adjusting the pair of contacts, and independent means for adjusting each contact of witha contact-carrying member, a plural- *ity of contacts carried thereby, means for moving said member, a plurality of pairs of contacts in position to slidingly engage the movable contacts and to be disengaged therefrom during such movement, means for independently adjusting the position of each pair of contacts, and means for independen'tly adjusting the position of each contact 1n a pa r.

let. In anelevatorystem, the combinati on assess rying member mounted on the rod, contacts carried thereby, sationary contacts in engagement with the movable contacts, an electro-magnet carried by said member, door locks, mechanical connections extending from the door looks into the path of the armature of said magnet, and motor controlling circuits including'said contacts and the winding of said electro-magnet.

15. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, -an electric motor, and driving connections, of a floor controller comprising a member geared to the motor and movable in unison with the car, coiiperating devices in or near the path of travel of said member, and positioned to correspond with the positions of the car when opposite the several floor landings, electroresponsive means for operating the said movable member and thereby operating said cooperating devices, and means for adjusting each of said devices.

16. In an elevator system,the combination with a car an electric motor and drivin connections, or" a floor controller comprising a member geared to the motor and movable in unison with the car, coiiperating devices in or near the path of travel of the movable member, and positioned to correspond with 'member and thereby operating said cooperating devices, and means operated by said devices for controlling the motor.

17. In an elevator system, the combination with a car,,a motor, driving connections, and doors at the floor landings, of door looks, a floortcontroller comprising a member-m0vable in unison with the car, power transmitting devices in or near the path of travel of the movable member. and positioned to correspond with the positions of the car when opposite the several floor landings, connections between each of said devices and the corresponding door lock, means for independently adjusting the position of each of said devices, a switch operatively connected to said devices, and a motor-controlling circuit including said switch.

18. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, and electric motor, and drivingconnections,'of a door at each floor landing, a latch for each door, a contact carried by. each latch, cooperating contacts engaged by the latch contacts when the latches engage their keepers, automatic means"for releasing-the latches and disengaging said contacts, and a motor-controlling circuit includ ng said sets of contacts in series.

T a 19. In an elevator system, the combination with a car, of a door located at a floor in the circuit, and automatic means for simultaneouslyopening the switches when the car is op osite said door. f

20. In an e evator'system, the combination with a plurality of doors,.of a switch associated with each door, a circuit including fthe switches in series, a device operable to open any an additional switch in said additional switch uponthe operation desired switch,

10f said device to open any one of the door switches. y 1

21. In an elevator system, the combination with a plurality of doors, a latch for each door, switch contacts associated with each latch, acircuit including the contacts in series, a device operable to release any predetermined latch and open the circuit, an addihe circuit, and means for opening a and connections between said device and switch for opening the switch upon the operation of said device. I v 23. In an elevator system, the combination with an electric motor, a car, driving connections and a door at each floor landing, ofa. floor controller comprising a member movable in unison with the car, a snap lock associated with each door, lock-releasing devices each located on the controller in position to be operated on by. said movable member when the car is opposite the corresponding door, means for automatically operating said member to unlock any predetermined door, a motor-controlling circuit, a switch in said circuit, and means for opening said switch upon the unlocking of any door.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' AUGUST SUNDH.

Witnesses: Clams. M. N ssan,

ALFRED C. Bnonn'r. 

